1. Bleeding USAF [U.S. Air Force] aircraft maintenance personnel down to dangerous levels to where aircraft aren't available. One of the big weapons the USAF has is the USAF maintainer and all of the tribal knowledge and ways of doing things learned over the years. The recently fired leaders along with previous leaders have let PowerPoint warriors run amok. Continuous reorganization of the maintenance community over the years was for the most part, trying to fix something that wasn't broken.

2. Not funding enough spares for aircraft. Can you say "can-bird"?

3. Not just maintenance but personnel levels in general. A few years ago lots and lots of company grade officers were let go because some idiots in USAF manpower couldn't do their job and balance the scales. This is a hugely expensive way to run the show. The USAF has 6-7000 airmen doing Army-like duties in the war all while cutting people in core-USAF-mission skills. Looney Tunes. This is one of many causes for the poor showing in control of nuclear weapons...

5. Failing to buy new build F-16s. The F-16 is a cheap aircraft to operate... And USAF for a long time is starting a slow motion train wreck that is seeing the fighter force geriatric. Stop gap buys of the F-16 would help keep the USAF healthy, until/if the F-35 JSF [Joint Strike Fighter] proves itself.